DEJA Blue?
Carlton's season is officially on life support after the Blues slumped to 0-4 to start 2025 after losing to ancient rival Collingwood by 17 points at the MCG on Thursday night.
MAGPIES v BLUES Full match coverage and stats
For the fourth week in a row, Carlton made the better start and led at half-time, before being completely outplayed in the second half.
With 82,058 people turning up in the wet to watch the 30th edition of the Peter Mac Cup and the 267th fixture between the two Victorian powerhouses, the Magpies booted the only four goals of the third quarter en route to a 8.15 (63) to 6.10 (46) win that was far more comfortable than it looks on paper.
It will be a long road back from here for Michael Voss' side.
Only seven sides in VFL/AFL history have recovered from a 0-4 start to feature in September. Hawthorn did it last year after starting 0-5, while Sydney overcame a 0-6 start to 2017 to be the first side since the 1970s to play finals after losing the first month.
Carlton kicked only two goals in the second half on Thursday night after eight total across the first three rounds. The Blues have now conceded 29.20 after half-time in the first month of 2025, losing the first four for the first time since 2019.
The Magpies will head on back-to-back interstate trips to Adelaide and Brisbane 3-1, banking a third straight win after starting the season with a poor performance against Greater Western Sydney in Opening Round.
Lachie Schultz won the Richard Pratt Medal for best on ground after producing plenty of moments that matter in one of his best games yet since moving from Fremantle at the end of 2023.
Steele Sidebottom wasn't far behind him in the votes, although you could throw a blanket over the Magpies' best players. The Daicos brothers found plenty of the ball, while Darcy Cameron beat in-form ruckman Tom De Koning and Darcy Moore starred in defence.
Thursday night was built up like a final after a week of intense external focus. Carlton made the better start at the MCG. Ollie Hollands drilled the opening goal on the run to the City End, before Patrick Cripps added a second to settle a side in the spotlight.
Collingwood responded with two goals to level the scores, before debutant Will White – the last man added to the list at Princes Park after the pre-season supplemental selection period deadline – had two chances in two minutes, but missed both. Before premiership teammates Michael Voss and Craig McRae could get to their players at quarter-time, a mild melee erupted after the siren.
Rain swept through the MCG early in the second quarter, but didn't linger long enough to force anyone in the outer out of their seats, although it made conditions more difficult. It resulted in an ugly spectacle, highlighted by three out on the full kicks for the term by the Blues.
Bobby Hill and Brody Mihocek both missed set shots from long range, after Jordan De Goey missed a handball option. Dan McStay missed another, then Mihocek missed the most gettable shot of all. Instead, it was George Hewett who broke the deadlock 25 minutes into the second quarter, capitalising after picking the Pies apart through the corridor.
The rain returned early in the second half, but only briefly.
Nearly 40 minutes after he kicked Collingwood’s last goal, De Goey wove some magic to snap an important goal on his left. Nick Daicos started making an impact in the middle and alarm bells started ringing in the Blues' box when Lachie Schultz made the most of his shot from just inside 50.
When Schultz swooped on a mark to kick his second, Carlton was on the canvas, down for the count. The Magpies kicked four goals to none in the third quarter to open up a 25-point lead at the final break.
From there, the Magpies cruised home. The scoreboard flatted the Blues.
Collingwood heads to Gather Round looking like contenders; Carlton look anything but right now.
Houston, we have a problem
Big name recruit Dan Houston is facing another stint on the sidelines after a high bump on Carlton small forward Lachie Fogarty in the second quarter. Fogarty played on, but after his career at Port Adelaide ended with a five-game suspension before he was traded to Collingwood, Houston will attract MRO attention again.
Early hammy forces sub
Michael Voss had to pull the trigger on the sub before the first break when Lachie Cowan was forced out of the game with a hamstring injury. Ashton Moir was injected into the game earlier than expected. After starting as the sub in his first two games last year, the South Australian was again the 23rd man in game No.3.
De Goey sits out late
After managing only 13 appearances in 2024 due to groin and hamstring injuries, box office star Jordan De Goey was put on ice at three quarter-time with the game under control. The 28-year-old played predominantly forward and was rarely used at centre bounce, kicking two important goals when the Magpies needed it.
COLLINGWOOD 3.2 3.7 7.13 8.15 (63)
CARLTON 3.5 4.5 4.6 6.10 (46)
GOALS
Collingwood: De Goey 2, Schultz 2 Long, Maynard, Membrey, Perryman
Carlton: Hewett 2, Hollands 2, Cripps, Curnow
BEST
Collingwood: Cameron, Schultz, Sidebottom, J.Daicos, N.Daicos, Moore, Pendlebury
Carlton: Hewett, Walsh, Docherty, De Koning
INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
Carlton: Cowan (hamstring)
SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Ned Long (replaced Jordan De Goey at three-quarter time)
Carlton: Ashton Moir (replaced Lachie Cowan in the first quarter)
Crowd: 82,058 at the MCG
